Top 10 Frugal Food Tips

Here’s a hard truth: You are probably spending way too much on food. Of course, food costs money and we all need to eat. But if you know what you’re doing, you can actually eat really well for an affordable price. A grocery budget does not need to equal cheap, unhealthy meals. In this post I’m going to show you how you can get more food for less money with these top 10 frugal food tips for beginners.

TOP 10 FRUGAL FOOD TIPS

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It’s time to get those food costs under control. You can absolutely feed your family for less than you’re spending right now. And it’s not even that hard. Try out these 10 frugal food tips and see how much you can save!

1. COOK YOUR OWN FOOD

Don’t worry, I’m not saying that you can never eat out at restaurants or pick up take-out food again. I just want to suggest that instead of making those things a daily expense we all save them for special occasions and rare treats.

4. USE YOUR FREEZER

If you take nothing else away from this post, you just have to start using your freezer.

There are so many ways that your freezer be awesome for your wallet and your time.

You can make freezer meals. This is awesome because you can pull out a freezer meal and cook that for dinner instead of wasting money on take-out or convenience foods.

There are a few easy ways to make freezer meals.

You can double a recipe, like a lasagna. Then, you can have one for dinner tonight and then freeze one to have a meal totally made for you to have for dinner sometime in the future.

Or you can spend an afternoon meal prepping freezer meals, freeze a ton at the same time, and then pull them out as you need them.

Meals in your freezer stay good for a very long time!

There are some awesome cookbooks dedicated to freezer meals. And of course, there’s about ten thousand recipes on Pinterest. Freezer meals are super popular right now. So, if you just start looking for them, you’re going to find a ton!

6. TRACK PRICES

Being a frugal shopper meals doing what you can to get the best prices.

But how can you know that you are getting the best price? By tracking prices over time of the products you buy more often.

While this one may take a little time, it is so much easier than it sounds! And it is worth is because once you get in the practice of tracking prices, you will actually learn the best price for the products that you buy most often.

Tracking prices will give you confidence in your purchases. It’s a great place to start if you are new to frugal shopping.

7. PLAN AHEAD

You have to go into the grocery store with a plan. Otherwise, the last minute ideas and the impulse purchase will get you!

Here is the easiest way to make a smart grocery shopping plan:

Take a look at the weekly sales and keep those deals in mind.

Scope out your fridge, freezer, pantry and wherever else you store food. See what you already have and get thinking about how you could use those ingredients. Pay special attention to foods that are going to expire soon.

With sales and your stock in mind, decide what you’re going to eat in the coming week. This means making a meal plan. If you’re like me and you’ve struggled with meal planning in the past, check out this post for my meal planning solution.

Make a list of what you need based on meal plan.

This might take you a bit of time at first but once you get into the habit of creating a shopping plan, it’ll be a much quicker process.

8. USE SOME COUPONS

I’m not by any means a couponer. I don’t spend a ton of time searching for coupons and strategizing on using them.

Instead I use a few select coupons in a smart way that saves me money. Here are where my coupons come from:

My mailbox – Physically coupons that I’m sent from the store because I have a loyalty/rewards card

Your store’s weekly ad

Your store’s dedicated coupon book

The store’s website (these often load directly to your loyalty card)

The store’s coupon app

That might sound like a lot of places to look for coupons, but I don’t always do all of them. It depends on which store I’m shopping at.

If I’m shopping at Whole Foods, I’m just going to look at their coupon book and coupon app. If I’m at Target I’ll just use their Cartwheel coupon app. And if I’m going to my local grocery store, Stop & Shop, I’ll check out their website, weekly ad, and gather up any physical coupons that I have.

Here is the most important thing about using coupons to save money:

Do not, under any circumstance, ever buy something you don’t need just to use a coupon!

Coupons only save you money if you were going to buy those things anyway.

10. GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

By far, the best way to save money on fresh produce is to grow it yourself.

Growing your own food is good for your finances and your health. And as an added bonus, it can be a really fun activity to do with your kids.

Gardening benefits your emotional health, as well. Working hard on something with purpose and literally reaping what you sow can have a huge calming effect on your mind and leave you with a serious feeling of accomplishment.

Start small with just a corner of your yard devoted to a garden. You can keep expanding on it each year as your gardening skills evolve.

Don’t have a yard? No worries! You’ll be amazed at how much you can grow on your deck or patio. Even an apartment balcony can be enough for a hanging tomato plant and some herbs.

SAVE MONEY WITH THESE FRUGAL FOOD TIPS

Start implementing these frugal food tips into your weekly routine and you’re sure to see some significant savings.

Cooking your own food with simple ingredients and making eating at home enjoyable will have a huge impact on your food spending. Using your freezer more often will save you a ton in food waste and prep time.

Shopping smarter with a plan, a budget, some coupons, and a price tracker will definitely slash your grocery costs. And going the extra mile to buy in bulk or grow your own garden will just be the savings gravy on top!

You can significantly lower your family’s food costs just by sticking to these simple tips!

Psst… Want to save even more? Hop on my email list here. It’s my favorite place to give you money saving tips and insights that I just don’t share anywhere else. Plus you’ll get lots of free financial tools just for signing up.

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Hi there! I’m Heather

I help women take control of their finances and have fun being frugal. I struggled financially for years before finally learning how to save money without suffering. And now, I want to teach you how to change your life and take control of your finances. Read More…